Band-cutter and feeder for threshing-machines.



No. 674,274. Patented May l4, l90l.

v J. LUNZ.

BAND CUTTER AND FEEDER FOR THBESHING MACHINES.

(Application filed July 31, 1900.) (No Model.)

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No. 674,274. Patented May I4, I9IJLv J. LUNZ.

BANVGUTTEBAND FEEDER FOB THRESHING MACHINES.

(Application filed July 81, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LUNZ, OF SANDOREEK, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

BAND-CUTTER AND FEEDER FOR THRESHlNG-MACHINES.

SPEGIFIGATIONformingpart of Letters Patent No. 674,274, dated May 14,1901.

Application filed July 31, 1900- To all whom it may ooncerm,

Be it known that I, JOHN LUNZ, of Sandcreek, in the county of Billings,Territory of Oklahoma,h ave invented a new and Improved Band-Gutter andFeeder for Threshing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification. I

My invention is an improvement in the class of machines provided withone or more endless traveling aprons or belts for conveying bundles orsheaves of grain to a toothed threshing-cylinder and with rotatablecutters for severing the bands of such bundles or sheaves when passingbeneath them.

My invention relates particularly to the means for regulating therapidity with which the grain is fed to the threshing-cylinder. Thespeed of the latter is usually relied on for such regulation; but in mymachine it is efiected by the amount of grain deposited on the endlessconveyer or carrier, which is chiefly relied upon to feed it to thecylinder. In connection with such conveyer I employ another, thearrangement being such that it is adapted to swing backward in avertical plane in case a large amount of grain passes between it and themain conveyer. In connection with such swinging conveyer I employ aclutch mechanism that automatically regulates its speed. In addition tothese features I have devised a new arrangement of circularband-cutters, whereby they spread the grain as it is loosened from thebundles or sheaves.

The details of the construction, arrangement, and combination of partsare as here- 7 inafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedmachine. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is another side view of themachine. Fig. 4. is, a side view of a portion of the machine,showing theclutch mechanism enlarged. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of theclutch mechanism. Fig. 6 is a face view of a combined sprocket andratchet wheel. Fig. 7 is a face view of another ratchetwheel. Fig. 8 isa plan view of the two wheels shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The movable parts of the machine are arranged in a frame or casing A.The gavels or bound bundles of grain are delivered upon the longconveyer B, the outer portion of Serial No. 25,436. (No model.)

. a slight vertical angle opposite and above the shorter portion of theconveyer B and is similarly constructed of chains 1 and toothed slats 2,having teeth 3. This conveyer 0 runs on sprockets 7, mounted on parallelrotatable shafts 8 and 9. runs on sprockpts on shafts 6 and 8, and itsAn endless chain 1O upper bight runs in contact with another sprocket onshaft 4. The direction of rotation is indicated by arrows, Fig. 1, andit is apparent that the longer and angular conveyer B is driven by saidchain 10 at the same speed as the shorter conveyer. The upper shaft 8 isfixed inposition,while the lower one, 9, is adapted to move bodilylaterally or toward and from the adjacent conveyer B. In other words,the short conveyer or feeder O is adapted to swing in a vertical planefrom the upper shaft 8 and hangs normally slightly inclined to thevertical, but at a less angle than the short side of conveyer B. Theshaft 9 is extended laterally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,

and provided with an arm 10, that is loosely engaged with the lowercrank-arm 11 of a rocking shaft 12, set vertically in a suitable frame.The upper crank arm 13 of such shaft 12 works between two flanges 14 ofa sleeve 15, which is adapted to slide and rotate freely on the shaft 8.Ahub 16is keyed on, and hence revolves with, said shaft. This hub haslateral arms 17, and to their ends are pivoted curved levers 18,carrying frictionpads 19, that are adapted to engage the inner side ofthe flanged wheel 20. The latter is fast with a sprocket-wheel and bothare loose on shaft 9. This sprocket is driven as hereinafter described.The inner ends of said levers 18 are forked and loosely engage theslidable sleeve 15, before referred to.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that if the conveyerO'swings backward use its lower shaft 9 will pull on the lower crankarm11 of rock-shaft 12, thus rotating the latter suificiently to slide thesleeve 15 outward, which movement will tilt the levers 18, and thusremove the pads 19 from contact with the flange of wheel 20. In otherwords, if a too-large amount of grain passes in between the conveyers Band C the lower end of the latter will be forced backward, and therebyoperate to disengage the friction-clutch mechanism, and this results inslowing down the rapidity of feed and prevents overloading the threshingcylinder, as will be further explained.

The cylinder-shaft 21 is the main driveshaft of the machine. A belt 22runs to the counter-shaft 23 or first saw-shaft and rotates it. A secondparallel saw-shaft 24 is arranged adjacent to shaft 23. A set ofcircular saws 25 is keyed on shaft 23 at an inclination, and a similarset 26 is keyed on the adjacent shaft 21 at an opposite inclination. Thesaws of one set project into the spaces between the saws of the other,as shown in Fig. 2. The saws sever the bands of the gavels and thenspread the grain by reason of their lateral sweep, due to theiroscillation or wabbling movement as they rotate. The second sawshaft24.- is driven from shaft 23 by a short belt 27.

As shown in Fig. 2, a chain 28 runs from a sprocket 29 on shaft 23 to asprocket 30 on the shaft 8, that drives conveyer G. The flanged frictionpulley or wheel 20 being fast to this sprocket 30, as before stated, itis to be seen that the conveyer C will be driven at a regular speed fromthe first saw-shaft 23 so long as the friction-clutch is engaged; butwhen the latter is disengaged the conveyer C is driven ata slower speedby mechanism arranged on the side of the machine opposite that on whichthe clutch is located.

A large sprocket-wheel 31 is keyed on the shaft 8, and a chain 32 runstherefrom to a small sprocket wheel or disk 33, mounted loosely on thefirst saw shaft 23. This sprocket 33 has a ratchet-face, as shown inFigs. 7 and 8, and it is arranged close along side a second ratchet-disk34;, that is keyed on shaft 23. The disk or wheel 34 has a series ofclutch-teeth for engaging spring-teeth on sprocket 3 f. When thefriction clutch-wheel 20 is engaged or locked to shaft 8, the looseratchet 33 is driven faster than the normal speed of shaft 23, becausethe sprocket 31 is larger than 30, and hence the ratchet 33 overruns theratchet 3e; but when the clutch is disengaged the ratchet 34 has time tocatch up with and engage the ratchet 33, and the latter then drives theshaft 8 and conveyer C through the medium of chain 32 and sprocket 31.The size of the latter is such that said shaft is driven slower thanbefore, and hence the load is fed more slowly forward or between the twoconveyers, which gives the cylinder time to thresh the grain properly.In other words, the cylinder is not overloaded, as

it would be but for the slower feed effected by the shifting of thedriving power from a small to a larger gear or sprocket, as abovedescribed.

It is obvious that the clutch may be arranged on either side of themachine.

The slats 2 and 2 of the respective conveyers B and O are so arrangedthat a row of teeth on one conveyer intervene two rows on the other,whereby the grain is acted upon by said teeth to better advantage.

The apparatus feeds dry and rotten straw more fully than wet straw,which is retarded more or less, so that overloading the cylin der isprevented.

What I claim ish 1. In a band-cutter and grain-feeder, the combinationwith a conveyer whose inner or delivery end is inclined downward at aright angle to the front portion of a second conveyer arrangedcontiguous and opposite to such delivery end and adapted to swing in avertical plane as described, a clutch mechanism mounted loose on thedrive-shaft of the swinging conveyer, means connected with the swingingconveyer for operating the clutch, means for driving the conveyer atnormal speed until released by the clutch, and other means for drivingthe conveyer at a slower speed when the clutch is thrown out of action,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a band-cutter and grain-feeder, the combination with a conveyerinclined downward at its inner or delivery end, of a second conveyerarranged opposite to such delivery end and adapted to swingin a verticalplane as described, parallel upper and lower shafts on which the saidswinging conveyer runs, the said shafts being extended as shown anddescribed, means for driving such upper shaft, a clutch mechanismapplied to said shaft, and means interposed between the clutch and thelower shaft of the conveyer for throwing the clutch out of action, andgearing for driving the conveyer at a slower speed when the clutch isreleased, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a band-cutter and grain-feeder, the combination with adrive-shaft, a conveyer inclined downward at its inner or delivery end,and a second conveyer arranged contiguous and opposite to the deliveryend of the first-named conveyer, and adapted to swing in a verticalplane as specified, a supplemental drive-shaft whereon such swingingconveyer runs, the said drive-shaft being extended outward from the,conveyer as shown and described, gearing connecting the twodrive-shafts, a clutch mechanism for throwing such gearing into or outof action, means connecting the clutch with the lower swinging end ofthe second conveyer, and other gearing applied to the respective shaftsfor driving the conveyer at a slower speed when the clutch is released,substantially as shown and described.

4. In a band-cutter and grain-feeder, the

combination, with a conveyer, of a second conveyor adaptedvto swing in avertical plane adjacent to the delivery end of the first conveyer, adrive-shaft supporting the swinging conveyer and extended laterallytherefrom, a sprocket-wheel mounted loose thereon, a friction-wheelsecured to said gear and adapted to rotate therewith, a collar fixed onthe shaft, levers pivoted thereto and having friction-pads adapted toengage said wheel, a slide for shifting said lever for disengaging theclutch, a shaft extended from the lower end of the swinging conveyer, arocking crankshaft arranged between and operatively connecting theaforesaid slide with such extended shaft,a drive-shaft arranged parallelto the conveyor-shaft and having a small sprocket from which a chainruns to the loose sprocket before mentioned, a fast and looseratchetwheel arranged on the drive -shaft, a large sprocket-wheel keyedon the conveyer driveshaft,and a chain connecting it with the looseratchet,snbstantially as shown and described, whereby, when an overloadof grain forces backward the lower end of the swinging conveyer, theclutch will be released and thereby throw the usual driving-gear out ofaction, and thus allow the supplemental driving-gear to come into actionand drive the swinging conveyor at a slower speed.

JOHN LUNZ. Witnesses:

JOHN HAFNER, WILLIAM L. CONKLE.

